February 2, 2006 Issue                                               

©2005 The Chestnut Hill Local

These CHC students are also full-time Philly cops
by LEN LEAR

Michael and Altovise, full-time Chestnut Hill College students and full-time police officers, are seen at their wedding in 1998 at the Ashbourne Country Club in Cheltenham

Michael Craighead and Altovise Love Craighead, of Roxborough, had to jump through hoops just to find the time to be interviewed together by the Local. Compared to this couple, who have the energy and drive of a runaway train, most of us are just malingerers and couch potatoes taking an extended daily siesta.

Michael, 43, and Altovise, 35, are both full-time students at Chestnut Hill College as well as full-time Philadelphia police officers. In addition, Altovise rehearses and acts in plays performed by an organization called TOVA: Artistic Projects for Social Change. (And she does needlepoint.)

“We have no personal life,” said Michael, who has been married to Altovise for eight years. “We really have to plan carefully in order to spend any time together at all.”

“I have two days off on Thursday and Friday,” added Altovise, “but I have classes throughout those two days, so I really have no days off. I can’t believe myself that I’ve been able to fit in the acting.”

Altovise, who grew up in Germantown and graduated from Northeast High School, has been on the police department for 10 years. Michael, who grew up in North Philadelphia and graduated from Central High School (239th class), has been a police officer for 16 years. They met when both were stationed at the 15th District, Harbison and Levick Streets in Oxford Circle.

“I was her supervisor,” said Michael. “She had been accidentally hit in the nose by another cop, so she was forced to work inside for a while. For a period of time she ignored me, but I was persistent and kept talking to her. I still talk to her when I’m lucky enough to see her.”

Michael was a prison guard before attending the Police Academy. He walked a beat in center city and eventually was promoted to corporal and then sergeant and then lieutenant. He was a detective for six years and a member of a terrorism joint task force for two years. (He declined to answer questions about his work on the terrorism joint task force.) For three-and-a-half years he has been with Internal Affairs, the feared department that investigates complaints against police and civilian employees in the police department.

“There was a time when people did not want to work for Internal Affairs because you have to investigate other officers,” said Michael, “but I think that has changed. There are important investigative skills to be learned. You’re getting the best employees because you’re getting additional oversight. This is an additional mechanism for civilians to voice their grievances.”

When asked what percentage of complaints against police are found to be justified, Michael replied, “I can’t say.” When asked other specifics about his job, Michael replied, “I can’t say.”

When asked about the attitude of most civilians with whom police officers come into contact, Michael said, “Most people are agreeable. I haven’t really had any problems with the public. Even with car stops (for traffic violations), people would usually apologize if they were not drunk ... But I did not write too many tickets.” (One may wonder why Michael and Altovise are not seen in their police uniforms in the photo accompanying this article. It’s because the police department has a rule prohibiting such photos in an article of this type.)

Altovise attended Philadelphia Community College for one year but could not continue because her money ran out. She worked in Family Court for five years collecting child support payments for clients and then joined the police department. Altovise, then 24, responded to a police recruiting ad with her sister, a female friend and a male friend. All four passed the entrance test, but only Altovise actually joined the department.

“I really didn’t put a lot of thought into it,” she recalls. “I thought it would make me a more outgoing person to be coming into contact with a lot of people every day. My mom had worked in the prison system, but I said no to that. I figured if I am going to come into contact with the criminal element, I want to carry a weapon.”

What is it like riding a police car on patrol? “Calls come in. Fights, robberies, domestic trouble. Maybe shootings. A husband and wife are angry at each other. You try to calm them down, but maybe they both get angry at you. Things can escalate very fast.”

Many of us base our knowledge of police work on dramatic shows we see on TV like Law and Order, but they do not necessarily present an accurate picture. “For example,” said Michael, “neither one of us has ever fired our gun on the job. On TV they seem to be shooting their guns regularly. And, of course, on TV they always solve crimes in an hour.”

In 2004 both Michael and Altovise decided to attend college full-time. They checked out numerous area colleges and universities and finally decided on Chestnut Hill College. He is majoring in business administration, she in communications. She is taking four courses; he is taking six. They started in September, 2004, and they plan to get their degrees in the spring of 2007.

“A lot of factors went into our decision to attend Chestnut Hill College,” said Altovise. “Price, proximity to our home and work, and the reputation of the college ... For us to be together (for this interview) is a really big thing. We have a lot of homework, and I just slept two hours last night. I’m really forcing myself to stay up.”

Altovise works a late night shift, and Michael works a daytime shift, “so when she is leaving, I am coming home.” The couple hope that the sacrifices they are making now will pay off in the future in a more normal lifestyle with many options.

“I’ll be able to retire at 50,” said Michael, “and I probably will.” According to Altovise, “I may want to start a business and do more things with my mom and do genealogy and write a book.”